Unisys.com

Company: Unisys, Blue Bell, Pa. Target audience: Business leaders and IT staff Key Web executive: David Wright, director of identity and Web programs No. of employees who work on the site: 12 Last major redesign: January 2003; smaller update in May 2005 No. of pages on site: 6,000 Web developer: In-house

Unisys.com caters to two distinct customer types: IT practitioners looking for product information and C-level executives and their employees researching specific solutions. The key is making it easy for both groups to find what they need by providing multiple points of entry into the site from the home page, said David Wright, who leads the company's Web team.

"We try and give them top information but also information deep enough so they don't have to stumble around," he said.

Because information is its customers' currency, Unisys also pays up by giving users case studies-five or six new ones each month-as well as other special customercentric content that is available via an eCommunity link, which enables customers to collaborate and communicate with each other. Another smart addition is customizable applications, such as one that lets users configure systems based on database size and user type.

"We also have an application where you can enter business parameters to see if you are ready for a full-blown CRM system," Wright said. "It takes you through a number of questions and gives you a rating of readiness based on the factors you enter."

The last redesign also banished several design points that Wright said were confusing to customers, including "flyout" menus, or mouse-over menus that deploy automatically. "People got confused on what they clicked on and couldn't remember where they were," he said.

The changes add up to a better overall experience for customers, reflected in an increase in the average time spent on the site. Before the last redesign, customers were spending an average of 6.25 minutes on the site. Now, people stick around for 11.5 to 12 minutes, Wright said. "That's the best gauge of the interest and quality of content," he said.

Expert 2¢

Hoa Loranger: The home page shows the company’s breadth of products and services without overwhelming people with superfluous content. The navigational categories are differentiable, directing customers to pertinent areas of the Web site. The site also has reputable clients and case studies that can vouch for the company’s quality of products and services.
Kate Everett-Thorp: Unisys stays true to their sophistication. … They show a clean, user-friendly environment that allows the focus on a highly technical and complicated service to make their clients’ businesses hum.